Shall They Dance?

The Ties of Family

24. Interlude

“You are looking quite bright with pleasure tonight, Iorhael,” Olórin said with a smile as he came on Frodo standing beneath the White Tree of Tol Eressëa, looking off to the East, his face particularly alight this night.

The Hobbit looked up at him, his whole body full of joyous surprise. “They are all there, Gandalf,” he said.

“All of whom, and where?” asked the Maia.

“Pippin, Merry, Sam, Ferdibrand, Freddie, Folco, Estella, Rosie, Elanor, Budgie Smallfoot, I think Frodo-Lad and Rosie-Lass, another Hobbit lass I think I must have met but don’t really know, Pando and Cyclamen Proudfoot, a woman and Man I don’t know, the Lady Arwen, Aragorn, and I believe their daughter--and Narcissa Boffin. They are all in Minas Tirith now, and all just came to the White Tree, and greeted it and me! I’ve never felt anything like it! They are happy, Gandalf. Merry has married Estella, and I think Pippin is married, too, to the other lass who was there. They wanted me to know. They wanted me to know they think of me, and miss me. They all wished me joy.” He shook his curls out of his face. “What are Pando and Cyclamen doing in Gondor?” he asked.

The Maia laughed, and gave a questioning look. Finally he spoke. “I’m not fully certain,” he said, “but they are there with Elessar tonight indeed. And I’m told Sam is especially comforted.”

“I am so glad,” Frodo said, looking Eastward again. “Oh, how I wish each and every one of them joy.”

Seeing Iorhael himself suffused with Joy, the Maia smiled.

This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.